Colchester Academy

School overview

Colchester Academy is a secondary school serving Colchester, Essex, classified by the DfE as a sponsor-led academy. It has 899 pupils aged 11 to 16 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated Colchester Academy 'Good'. The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 38.5 — below the national average (national average: 46). Its Attainment 8 score has risen by 3.6 points year on year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the lower half of secondary schools nationally.

31% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, well below the national average of about 45%. 50% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. Getting a place is straightforward: for the September 2026 intake every family who made Colchester Academy their first choice was offered one of its 160 Year 7 places. After Year 11, 85% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 15.2%. There are about 15.5 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 44% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When you visit, you might ask how the school stretches its higher-attaining pupils and supports those who need to catch up. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.